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Mia's Picks

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A Cinderella Story from China Yeh-Shen retold by Ai-Ling Louie illustrated by Ed Young

Tells about a baby girl, whose mother, the second wife of Chief Wu, dies leaving the baby in the care of the other wife. “Yeh-Shen, the little orphan, grew to girlhood in her stepmother’s home. She was a bright child and lovely too, with skin as smooth as ivory and dark pools for eyes. Her stepmother was jealous of all this beauty and goodness, for her own daughter was not pretty at all.

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A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition Domitila Adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn Illustrated by Connie McLennan

The story begins “ On a rancho, sun bleached and dry, in the Mexican state Hidalgo, lived a poor famer and his gentle wife. Their only child was a daughter. “She is sweeter than a cactus bloom in early spring,” the townsfolk said. Her name was Domatila.

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Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck and Anita Lobel

This is the story of a young girl whose mother dies, and her father the king pays no attention to her. Her old nurse makes sure that the little girl is “taught the manners of a lady, and arranged for tutors to instruct her in reading, writing, and dancing. And so the princess grew to be strong, capable and clever, besides being beautiful.” The king grants his daughters hand in marriage to a terrible ogre, and this is the story of how the young girl gets out of that situation and ends up marrying a handsome prince and living happily ever after.


The Fisherman’s Son by Mirra Ginsburg and pictures by Tony Chen adapted from a Georgian Folktale
Tells the story of a little boy who goes out of his way to protect animals, throwing a pretty red fish back into the ocean (thus infuriating his father), jumping between a hunter and a deer, and so on. As he saves the animals, the animals thank him by pulling a scale or hair for the boy and offering the help the boy should he ever need it. Of course, as he grows, the boy finds that he does need the help of the animals, and the animals repay their debt helping the boy to a happily ever after.

Lois Ehlert’s bright colorful pictures define her works and set the stage for these tales that “emanated from fragments of American Indian tales, Peruvian tales, and Mexican Tales. The animals, colors, plants, and decorations used in the pictures represent items that are indigenous to the area where the stories take place.

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  Cuckoo is told both in English and Spanish Cucu, a beautiful cuckoo annoys the other animals with her beauty and singing. At the end, Cuckoo saves the animals by saving the seeds after the earth is scorched by a fire.

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  Moon Rope
• Mole’s Hill a Woodland Tale tells the tale of a creative mole that when asked by fox, skunk, and raccoon to move her mole hill, as it interferes with their path to the water, works very hard to build a hill that they will all appreciate.

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Finding Fairies Secrets for Attracting Little People From Around the World Written by Michelle Roehm McCann and Marianne Monson-Burton

The books pull tales of fairies from around the world, songs, beliefs, activities (fairy wings, pixie dust, arctic snow cones, Duende Ducle de LEche, Fairy Rattle, Domovoy Soap Carvings), fairy songs and lullaby’s and suggestions for catching fairies.

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The Little People Stories of Fairies, Pixies, and Other Small Folk by Neil Philip
Beautifully illustrated, realistic pictures add to the believability of the existence of these little people. Stories tell the true natures of these creatures, including those that are mischievous, haughty, as well as those that are fair and lovely.

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The Girl Who Spun Gold by Virginia Hamilton Pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon
At the back of the book the author discusses the various versions of this story from around the world. “The folktale of a cruel little man who helps a young woman spin thread or straw or flax into skeins of gold is well loved with variants around the world.” There are other versions of this story too, where a young girl is helped by fairies, in one version, the girl is a lazy bore who uses three little fairies to get out of doing work.
The author goes on to tell us that this story is her “version of a West Indian variant of the little-man tale entitled “Mr. Titman,” meaning “little man,” from a collection by Pamela Colman Smith, published on 1899…as with several African American variants the West Indian variant is told in a difficult, so-called black dialect. [Ms. Hamilton] translated the language into a far simpler colloquial style, which is easy to read aloud, and is a truer reflection of a lilting West Indian speech pattern hen and now.”
The story begins with a description of a tiny sparkly golden man who is hiding in the shadows of trees watching a young girl spin thread. The king rides by and the mother boasts that her daughter can spin golden thread. The king offers to marry the daughter, so there is a big feast, and wedding.
The king “had to become even bigger than he needed to be” and insisted that young girl spin three rooms of golden things by years end or else she will lose everything. As the girl and her mother worry over how to get out of the terrible lie the mother told the tiny golden man enters the scene and offers to do the work for her if the daughter can guess his name in three guesses. The girl eventually outwits the tiny man, guesses his name, and the king finally lets her out the room. But he gets greedy, and wants more gold, so he sends her back to spin one more roomful of golden things. The girl is angry at this treatment and then refuses to speak to him for three years. The king comes around, realizes her was being greedy and wrong, and eventually they all live happily ever after.
Lessons learned: don’t lie, don’t be greedy…

Gail Carson Levine The Princess Tales
In this series, Levine retells some classic tales with her own comical twist: For Biddle’s Sake (retelling of German fairy tale Puddocky), Cinderellis and the Glass Hill (retelling of Cinderella), The Princess Test (retelling of Princess and the Pea), The Fairy’s Mistake (Which fairy tale)Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep (retelling of sleeping beauty), The Fairy’s Return (spoof on the Golden Goose).

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Raven A Trickster Tale from The Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDermott
The story begins: “Raven came. All the world was in darkness The sky above was in darkness. The waters below were in darkness. Men and women lived in the dark and cold.” The story tells how Raven brought light to the world, by turning first into a pine needle that the Sky Chief’s daughter inadvertently swallows while drinking water from the stream. The needle impregnates the daughter and she gives birth to a baby boy, who delights the sky chief and eventually finds the sun locked in a series of boxes, larger to smaller. The Sky Chief lets the baby play with the sun, he turns back into a Raven and delivers the sun to the sky and light to the earth.

Gerald McDermott Zomo the Rabbit A Trickster Tale From West Africa
The story begins: “Zomo! Zomo the rabbit. He is not big. He is not strong. But he is very clever.” The story goes onto describe rabbit’s quest for wisdom.

Gerald McDermott Coyote A Trickster Tale From The American Southwest
The story begins: “Coyote. Blue Coyote. He was going along, following his nose. He had a nose for trouble.” This book tells the story of why coyotes are the color of dust with tales that look like they have been charred by a fire.

Gerald McDermott Jabuti The Tortoise A Trickster Tale from The Amazon
The story tells the tale of a musical turtle. All of the animals listen to his music, be each hear it differently. “For some, Jabuti’s song was sour.” Those animals that had been tricked by Jabuti into doing things they regret, did not like his music. Some did like his music, and some were jealous that they could not make beautiful music. This story tells how birds got their colors, why some birds have no colors, and why the tortoises shell appears cracked.

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Gerald McDermott Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
In the prologue to this book the author says, “mythology transforms, making the ordinary into the magical. It brings beauty to the ways of man, giving him dignity and expressing his joys in life. Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture with oral traditions. Retold through generations, the social group maintains its continuity, handing down it’s culture.

“This story is from a long established culture, the Ashanti of West Africa, in the country of Ghana. Ghana is a green stronghold of dense rain forests between the ocean and the desert. This home of the Ashanti people protects their oral traditions. The Ashanti have had a federation, a highly organized society, for over four hundred years. Still, today as long ago, the Ashanti a re superb artisans. They excel as makers of fine metal work and as weavers of beautiful silk fabric. Into this fabric they weave the rich symbols of their art and folklore-Sun, Moon, Creation, Universe, the Web of the Cosmos, and Anansi, The Spider.

“Anansi is a folk-here to the Ashanti. This funny fellow is a rogue, a wise and loveable trickster. He is shrewd and cunning figure who triumphs over larger foes. An animal with human qualities, Anansi is a mischief maker. He tumbles into many troubles. Here is one of his adventures.”

Tells the story of how the moon came to be in the sky. Anansi the spider had six sons. Each son had a special power that they used to save Anansi from trouble. While trying to decide which son deserved the special prize as the one who helped most, Anansi decides to put the ball of light into the sky for them all to enjoy.

McDermotte artistic style is full of bold colors and simple pictures.

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An Abbeville Anthology Mother and Daughter Tales Retold by Josephine Evetts-Secker Illustrated by Helen Cann
This is anthology of tales from around the world that emphasize the relationship between a mother and daughter.

• Demeter and Persephone (Greek)
• The Waterfall of White Hair (Chinese)
• Mother Holle (German)
• Vasilisa The Beautiful (Russian)
• Old Mother Swan and Great Mother Earthquake (Iroquois)
• Snowflake (Slavic)
• The Mother’s Mirror (Japanese)
• Katanya (Turkish)
• The Girl and Her GodMother (Norwegian)
• Naomi and Ruth (Jewish)

The gentle watercolors that illustrate this book reflect not only the essence of the story, but also reflect the art, clothing, and colors of the region.
At the end of the book in the notes section, the author discusses some of the common themes among the stories: women and nature, women and house-keeping, True amd False Mothers, Witches and Goddesses, The Community of Women, Growing Up.
At the end of the notes section the author says, “These stories explore themes universal to the mother/daughter experience. They reflect what it is to be a natural and spiritual woman; to be in the home and alone in the wild; to distinguish the false from the true; to honor the processes of birth and death. All these must be incorporated into the celebration of life that mothers need to share with their daughters. This is the wisdom that women must pass on, and in all cultures, they do so through the medium of the story.”

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Lies and Other Tall Tales collected by Zora Neale Hurston adapted and Illustrated by Christopher Myers
Modern Folklore…..
The author collected sayings from people she met during a tour of the Gulf States. On the inside ‘credit’ is given to the actual speaker of the tale. “That reminds me of one man. He was so mean, he greased another man and swallowed him whole.” An interesting spin on modern folk tales….it makes me wonder about all of the internet myths and whether those will be the stories of our future……



Another version of sleeping beauty, Sleeping Bobby by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne Illustrated by Giselle Potter. A familiar story with a new twist-the 13th sister not invited to the new baby’s feast, storms into the party in a fit of rage to bestow her gift to the baby: “On his 18th birthday he shall prick his finger with a spindle and fall down dead!” As in the traditional tale, the 12th invited guest had not yet bestowed her gift, so she is able to change the death into a deep sleep. All sharp things, banned, yadadadada, the boy pricks his finger, falls asleep, the whole castle falls asleep, 100 years go by, a princess happens upon the castle, goes inside, finds all of the sleeping people including Booby, falls in love, gives him a kiss, everybody wakes up, there is a wedding/birthday party, and everybody lives happily ever after.

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Kate and the Beanstalk Written by Mary Pope Osborne Illustrated by Giselle Potter
Another familiar tale only this time the protagonist is a girl, Kate, who swaps a cow for some magic beans, much to her mother’s horror. She tosses the seeds out the window, a beanstalk grows while Kate is sleeping, Kate wakes to discover the beanstalk, climbs up, finds the castle, giants, has an adventure, makes off with a hen, comes back another day in a disguise and procures a bag of money, takes it home, goes back another day disguises herself again, goes back up the beanstalk, makes off with a golden harp, chops down the beanstalk, the giant dies on his way down by falling off the stalk, at the end, Kate is met by a fairy who calls her brave and tells her she has won back her father’s castle, she wasn’t really stealing at all it was her stuff after all, happily ever after the end

Little Red Riding Hood
Many versions from around the World

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Lon Po Po A red Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young

The pictures are mystical and frightening. Action is presented in vertical panes, eases reader into the fear of the children in the story. In this story the mother goes to visit the grandmother (Po Po in Chinese) on her birthday leaving the three daughters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze at home with a warning to be good and latch the door after she leaves. In this story the wolf comes to the children’s door pretending to be their Po Po. Has all of the traditional events, but Po Po why is your voice so low, But Po Po why does you foot have a bush on it (feeling the fur under the covers)….the eldest sister realizes that it is really a wolf and not their Po Po and concocts a story about going to pick some Ginko nuts for her to eat. The three children rush out of the house, the eldest fills the other two in one what is really going on and the three children hide out in a tree and devise a plan to defeat the wolf.

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Sugar Cane a Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace Pictures by Raul Colon
A pregnant fisherwoman craves sugar cane (maybe the baby will be sweet) and the poor husband must venture deep into unknown parts to satisfy his wife’s craving. He meets a famous sorceress, madame fate who vows to make the man pay for what he has taken with the baby. On her first birthday, the baby is stolen, locked in a tower, where her foster mother sees to it that she has the best education, taught by heavenly angels and old gypsy’s from spain (“madame fate was a conjure woman who could bring people back from the dead”). The girl, who has very long hair that is used by madame fate to enter the tower is lonely. One night a young boy out rowing a boat gets his oar tangled in her long hair. He falls in love with her beauty and her sweet voice. He climbs up her hair, they become friends, they fall in love, madame fate becomes enraged at the thought of the girl leaving, cuts off her hair, she escapes the tower with a ladder she had been making, her little friend, amonkey at her side, now she is in a strange world, lost and unsure what to do, finally meets up with the man from the boat, get married, and live happily ever after.

The Firebird appears again and again in fairy tales……

The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring by Ruth Sanderson

“Brave deeds and wondrous magic come together in this tale based on classic Russian folklore. A young huntsmen names Alexi leaves home seeking adventure and fortune. Instead he finds the Golden Mare, who pledges eternal loyalty in exchange for sparing her life. With the mare’s help, Alexi becomes the Tsar’s best huntsmen, but then the jealous Tsar presents him with several impossible tasks, threatening to have him killed if he fails. Each time, Alexi secretly enlists the help of the Golden Mare-and succeeds. But his fina; task is to win Yelena the Fair, a loveluy young maiden whom the old Tsar wants as his bride. Will Alexi be able to use his own powers to save himself and Yelena?” From the book jacket. Beautiful paintings.
The firebird is only in the story for a short bit, as she is captured in one of Alexi’s tasks that he must perform for the Tsar…

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The Firebird by Demi
Authors Notes Alexanderr Afanasiev (1826-1871), an ethnographer, spent fifteen years compiling his famous collection of more than six hundred Russian folktales. His collection was the springboard for many others in several languages….including Arthur Ransome’s Olf Peter’s Russian Tales. I think Ransome’s translations best capture the spirit of the original Russian versions. And it is his retelling the “The Firebird” that is the basis for this picture book edition.”
From back flap: “ Throughout his life, Demi has been collecting versions of “The Firebird,” whether written or danced, sung, or portrayed in art.”
From inside jacket: “When Dmitri, a young, foolish archer finds a feather from the legendary Firebird, his wise and magical Horse of Power warns him that it will bring nothing but trouble. But Dmitri picks up the feather anyway. He presents it to the greedy Tsar Ivan, who sends the young archer on increasingly more difficult missions, from capturing The Firebird itself to retrieving the fairy princess Vassilissa from the edge of the world. Fortunately, Dmitri’s clever Horse of Power helps him fulfill the tsar’s wishes-and win the hand of the fairy princess.”

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A Collection of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories
This collection is based on stories Kipling told to his young daughter to answer some of her many questions. The answers in this collection “drew upon fables Kipling had heard as a young child in India and folktales he had gathered from around the world.” The work of eight different illustrators adorn these tales that answer questions such as How the Whale got his Throat, How the Camel got his Hump. How the Rhinoceros got his skin, How the Leopard Got His Spots and several other tales.

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Peter Seeger Abiyoyo Illustrated by Michael Hays
This story is based on a South African folktale. A boy and his father are banished from the village for constantly playing tricks on their neighbors. They end up saving the village from the monster, Abiyoyo, with their tricks as they make the monster disappear.

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Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema pictures Beatriz Vidal

A story explaining a drought that Kapit brought to an end-with elements from the environment, a feather from a bird, shot from a bow that pierced the sky and let the rains flow.







Susan Allen's Picks

Between Heaven and Earth
Bird Tales From Around the War
By Howard Norman
Illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
Harcourt , Inc., Orlando 2004
Ages 8-12

This collection includes five folktales from five different countries; Australia, Norway, Sri Lanka, Matabeleand, and China, all involving birds. It would be an excellent resource to teach older students how comparing and contrasting stories can reveal differences in culture. Just like humans, in folktales birds can share any number of traits; good, evil, vain, smart etc. The illustrations are by Caldecott medalists and although each look like individual works of art, they tie together the theme of the collection beautifully.




Pig Boy
A Trickster Tale from Hawaii
By Gerald McDermott
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, 2009
Ages 3-8

This is one of a series of trickster tales by McDermott. Based on Hawaiian mythology, Pig-Boy transforms from human warrior to many different forms. Pig-Boy taunts powerful figures but always escapes, as his Grandmother taught him. This book would appeal to younger readers for its vibrant graphics and colorful vocabulary. The expressions on the characters convey many emotions and some of the words are just fun to say! I find this tale unique because it shows that even within our own 50 states, there is a deep cultural history, in this case involving deities.



Why the Sky is Far Away
A Nigerian Folktale
Retold by Mary-Joan Gerson
Illustrated by Carla Golemne
Little Brown & Company, Boston, Toronto, London, 1992

This is a re-telling of an 800 year old porquoi tale. As the story goes, in the beginning the sky was so close to the earth that people could just reach up and grab whatever they wanted to eat. Soon, they began to become wasteful, taking more than they needed and discarding excess on trash heaps. This angered the sky causing it to move far away. One significant line comes at the end of the story; “Perhaps through your own labor you will learn not to waste the gift of nature”. This story is powerful because it shows the timelessness of the theme of saving the earth. With our current day focus on “being green” even young readers can make the connection with this story.

Lauren R.'s picks:

Souhami, Jessica. King Pom and the Fox. London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2007.
Illustrated by Jessica Souhami
Target audience: preschool- 3rd grade

King Pom and the Fox

This folktale is the Chinese version of Puss in Boots. It takes place in China, where a poor man, Li Ming, is teasingly called King Pom because the only thing he owns is a pomegranate tree. A fox is used in this version of the story, instead of a cat. The fox succeeds in making Li Ming rich by outwitting an ogre and fooling the emperor into thinking that Li Ming is a king so that Li Ming ends up marrying the emperor’s daughter. The major themes in this book include overcoming social inequality to gain a better way of life and intelligence winning out over physical strength. The motifs in this folktale include extraordinary animals (the clever fox who talks and acts like a person), supernatural adversaries and transformations (the ogre who can transform into other animals), and trickery (the fox outwits everyone). The bright, engaging pictures reflect the Chinese culture and natural environment by showcasing Chinese clothing, buildings, trees, camels, horses, and mountains. I liked King Pom and the Fox better than Puss in Boots. The bright illustrations, the fox, and cultural references were a breath of fresh air and very interesting to me. This folktale would be excellent to use in the classroom when comparing different versions of Puss in Boots. 


Artell, Mike. Petite Rouge: a Cajun Red Riding Hood. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2001.
Illustrated by Jim Harris
Target audience: preschool- 3rd grade

Petite Rouge : a Cajun Red Riding Hood

This folktale is a Cajun version of Red Riding Hood. The setting is “a long time ago” in a swamp. In this version, Petite Rouge is a duck who canoes across a swamp and encounters an alligator on her way to visit her grandmother. The grandmother hides in the closet when the alligator arrives at her house. When Petite Rouge discovers that the alligator is not her grandmother, she covers some of the food she brought with hot sauce and puts it in the alligator's mouth. The alligator thinks he bit Petite Rouge and is in such pain from the hot sauce that he retreats to the swamp and never bothers people again (thinking they’re too hot to eat). Intelligence winning out over physical strength is the theme of this folktale. Motifs present in the story include talking animals and trickery. The pictures of the swamp and food reflect the Cajun culture and natural environment. The pictures also add to the silliness of the story, especially the pictures of the alligator dressed up like the grandmother and the pictures of the alligator's discomfort after ingesting hot sauce. It is best to read this story out loud to children since it is written in the Cajun dialect. Before reading the story, the teacher should also go over with students the definitions of a few Cajun words, which are provided at the beginning of the story. I especially liked how the language of this story rhymed, and I enjoyed the cleverness of using hot sauce to outwit the alligator.


Hale, Bruce. Snoring Beauty. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2008.
Illustrated by Howard Fine
Target audience: preschool- 3rd grade

Snoring Beauty

This is a humorous version of the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. In this fairy tale, which is told by a frog, the baby princess is cursed by the bad fairy to be run over and killed on her 16th birthday by a pie wagon. A good fairy who is hard of hearing tries to help the princess by saying that the princess will only be turned into a sleeping dragon when hit by a pie wagon until she is woken up by a quince. In the end, a prince named Quince ends up kissing the dragon, who awakens and turns back into a princess. Good overcoming evil is the theme of Snoring Beauty. The motifs in this fairy tale include supernatural helpers and adversaries, transformations, and magical powers. The colorful illustrations enhance the humor of the story by illustrating silly expressions and silly information on posters. For example, one of the posters put up by the king says that the reward for awakening the princess will include a set of elf-made garden furniture. I liked the humor in this fairy tale. Children will find the story entertaining and silly. Adults will also find the story silly but will pick up on things that children will not, such as the silliness of the mathematical symbol, pie, on one of the pie wagons. Also, adults will understand the humor of the fairy that is hard of hearing being named Tintinnitus, while children will simply think it is funny that the fairy does not hear well.

Britt's Picks

The Legend of the Old Man of the Mountain

by Denise Ortakales, Illustrated by Robert Crawford

Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2004

Grades: 2-4

This picture storybook tells a Native American legend about the Old Man of the Mountain, New Hampshire’s famous landmark that finally crumbled in 2003. The legend tells the story of the love between the chief of the Pemigewasset and the Mohawk girl Minerwa, whose union keeps peace between their tribes for many years. When Minerwa’s father falls ill, she travels back to see him without Chief Pemigewasset, whose injured foot prevents him from journeying the distance with her. He vows to wait for her return, and sends her with his best warriors to ensure her safe journey. When the winter comes and Minerwa has still not returned, Pemigewasset tells his tribe he will remain alone on the cliff while they stay the winter in safer ground below. When they return, he has passed away. Turning to look at the cliff, they see the profile of the Old Man of the Mountain, and believe it is the spirit of their chief immortalized by the Great Spirit. While there are many legends about the Old Man of the Mountain, this one presents a story that gives some insight into Native American tribes and how they lived in the Northeast years ago. Although erosion eventually resulted in the loss of the Old Man of the Mountain, it is still a famous symbol of New Hampshire that appears on their state quarter, license plates, and other state materials. This legend could be connected to a study of Native American tribes or regions of the United States as well as a study in traditional tales.

Monkey King by Ed Young

New York: Harper Collins, 2001

Grades: 1-3

This traditional Chinese Buddhist story introduces the character of the Monkey King, a trickster hero character. Ed Young’s bold collage style art is featured in a large format book with fold out panels in the middle of the story. The story is entertaining and also has a lesson in that the Monkey King learns that there is strength in admitting weakness. As learning about China and its history becomes more widespread in schools, this book makes a good addition to a traditional tale collection. I would especially recommend the title for inclusion in communities with many students from Buddhist and/or Chinese backgrounds. However, because it is a Buddhist tale and also references other Chinese deities such as Guan Ying, which are still worshipped in modern times, it should be considered carefully before using it as a read aloud story for a class unless there is a clearly defined context.

King Midas: The Golden Touch by Demi

New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002.

Grades: 1-4

Demi’s version of this classic Greek myth includes the events leading up to King Midas getting his famous golden touch. As a punishment for choosing Pan’s discordant music over Apollo’s beautiful music, Apollo curses the king with donkey ears. After befriending Silenus, a satyr with horse’s ears, King Midas meets Dionysus, who grants him his wish of turning everything into gold. Demi’s version also differs in that it does not feature the pivotal scene where King Midas turns his daughter into gold, but it ends with him being relieved of the gift…and happy in spite of his donkey ears. Demi’s bright, beautiful illustrations with shiny gold accents and an oversized fold out section are sure to appeal to children. The book would make a good read aloud and provide a useful example of how different versions of traditional stories are told over time.

Susan Shatford's picks


Andreasen, Dan, Jacob Grimm, and Wilhelm Grimm. Rose Red and the Bear Prince. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Grades Levels: K-4
This story is adapted from the Brothers Grimm’s Snow White and Rose Red. This beautiful picture storybook is about a girl who lives with her widowed mother in a cabin in the woods. Sweet, kind, and beautiful she grows up with only her mother and the animals that she has befriended in the forest. One day a large brown bear comes looking for her help to keep warm by her fire. The mysterious bear comes every winter night and becomes wonderful friends with Rose Red. In spring, the bear says goodbye and tells Rose Red of his plans to find the evil dwarf that had stolen 3 items from the bear. Not only would Rose Red’s cunning return his stolen items, but she would unknowingly release the bear from his spell. This story will have the reader quickly enchanted with Rose Red and her attempt to rescue her prince.



Palatini, Margie. Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes. ills. by Barry Moser. New York: Simon & Schuster Books, 2009. Grade Levels: K-4
This modernized version of Aesop’s fable The Fox and The Grapes begins with fox planning and executing his attempt to dine on some delicious grapes. He quickly realizes that he is going to need some help in order to reach the grapes. He one by one enlists the help of several animals. Rather than listen to the other animals thoughts of reaching the grapes, fox quickly stops their suggestions. Since he is so clever and sly, Fox feels that he can outwit the others to get what he wants. In the end, frustrated Fox couldn’t see past his own failed attempts and gives up rather than listen to someone else. If only he would have realized that the other animals have much to offer, he would have been able to enjoy the grapes as much as the others. While the others ate the delicious grapes, Fox left with only “sour grapes.”


Hartman, Bob. The Wolf Who Cried Boy. illus. by Tim Raglin. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002. Grade Levels: 1-3
Little Wolf lives with Father Wolf and Mother Wolf in a cave in the woods. Little Wolf always complains to his parents that he doesn’t like the usual dinners of sheep, deer, muskrat and squirrel. Little Wolf longs to have boy again for dinner. When faced with having to eat another dreaded dinner of lamburgers or sloppy does, Little Wolf decides to trick his parents. He starts shouting boy! Naturally, Mother Wolf and Father Wolf come out of their cave to catch the hard to find boy for dinner. Since dinner goes bad, the family has to eat snack food that night. Little Wolf likes snack food so he decides to continue his "boy sightings." One day when a Boy Scout troop comes into his house, his parents were so tired of hearing his fake calls that they didn’t even look. In the end while Little Wolf still wishes he had boy for dinner, he has learned his lesson and is happy with what he has. While the moral of the story remains the same, this book offers a fun reversal of the roles found in the more traditional story The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Kailin's Picks
Arthur and the Sword
retold and illustrated by Robert Sabuda
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1995
Themes: Heroism, Becoming Who You Really Are, Legends Grade Level: 1-6
The story of King Arthur and his sword, Excalibur, as retold by Robert Sabuda does not stray far from the original. The main characters Arthur, Sir Ector, Sir Kay, and Merlin are all still the main characters of the story, but the true star of this book is the illustration. Drawn as stained glass, a perfect medium for this medieval time period, the author brings the story to life with bright and vivid colors smeared in each "pane" as if they were melded glass. This choice of medium lends an authenticity and ambience to the story that is apt, considering the time period in which it takes place and the reverence in which it is held all over the world. The text is tinged with the speech of the time period and the author pairs the story with illustrations in such a way as to build excellent suspense for a read aloud audience.



The Stonecutter by Demi
Published by Crown Publishers, Inc., 1995
Themes: Accepting Who You Are, Chinese Culture
Grade Level: K-6
This book is a gorgeously illustrated tale of self-acceptance with roots in the Chinese Taoist tradition. An unhappy stonecutter longs for a different life than his own. Through the grace of an angel, the stonecutter transforms from stonecutter to governor to cloud to rock (and many other incarnations in between), each time discovering both the strengths and weaknesses of his newest incarnation. Each time he incarnates into something new, the reader is almost tricked into believing that the stonecutter has finally found the most powerful and satisfying thing to be. Like the stonecutter, we are surprised at the end of the tale to discover that the most wonderful thing to be is ourselves. The illustrations are abstract with very little background drawn thereby lending a timelessness to the story, though the carefully drawn Chinese motifs make it clear where the story takes place. The Stonecutter is a fun book to read with a truly lovely moral.


Beautiful Blackbirdby Ashley Bryan
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003Themes: Myths, Folktales, African Folktales, Embracing Culture
Grade Level: K-3


In ancient Africa the birds are all different colors, but there is only one bird with any black feathers: the blackbird. He is considered to be the most beautiful bird of all by all of the other birds and they ask him to share some of his vibrant black color with them. One by one he paints them with various degrees of black, all the while reminding them that just because they're getting some of his color doesn't mean they will be any different. "Color on the outside is not what's on the inside. You don't act like me. You don't eat like me. You don't get down in the groove and move your feet like me," says Blackbird. This African folktale explains where some of the birds got their various designs while affirming the beauty of being oneself. The language is rhythmic, poetic, and very much like a song. Students will not only love how the text sounds, but the collage cut out art is full of depth and vibrance. One can only imagine the care and time it must have taken to piece together each colorful, vivid, lively page of illustration.
Heather's Picks

Lupton, Hugh and Daniel Morden The Adventures of Odysseus, illustrated by Christina Balit. New York: Barefoot Books, 2006.
Grade 3-7

The Adventures of Odysseus is a children's version of Greek epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer. King Menelaus commandeers King Odysseus into joining his war to regain his wife Helen. Helen has been swept away by Paris, the Prince of Troy. After ten years of fighting in Troy it takes Odysseus nine more years to return to the Island of Ithaca where he left his devoted wife Penelope and their son Telemachus. The Odyssey is the story of his mythical journey home. Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden's book is very appealing and may inspire children and adults to pick up the original or to take a greater interest in ancient Greek literature. Lupton and Morden really capture the sense of adventure and the mythical quaility of The Odyssey. The language is updated but still has the larger than life quality of the original. But the book is not only about adventure; it's a thoughtful story. The authors do a nice job of portraying the great love that Odysseus and Penelope share. Odysseus is a hero and a family man. He expresses his feelings of guilt and despair after losing all of his men on the journey. Christina Balit's guache illustrations are alternately amazing and off-putting. The colorful, swirling scenes are beautiful and capture the otherworldliness of the stories. She also does a good job with the scary mood of some of the adventures. But her people are harsh. Even the protagonists somehow resemble villains. Because of the violence this book is not appropriate for younger children (the cyclops bashes a man's head against the roof of his cave before eating him). It's a war story. Overall this book is a great introduction to classical literature for older children. --Heather Vandermillen


Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. Boston: Little Brown, 2009.
Pre-S -Gr 3

Jeffrey Pinkney retells Aesop's fable The Lion and the Mouse without a single word (unless you count a few squeaks and roars). The king of the beasts shows mercy on a little mouse. Later, when the lion is trapped in a net by hunters the mouse chews on the ropes until the lion is free. The double moral being that even the seemingly powerless can achieve great things and you can never have too many friends. Jerry Pinkney's watercolor illustrations are full of movement and expression. The story can easily be understood through the pictures (before writing this annotation I tested it on a 7 year old). The lack of text and the realistic setting in the African Serengeti make the story more poignant. Without ever feeling didactic, Pinkney's tale underscores the value of life (when the lion lets go of the mouse and the mouse returns to his family) and the beauty of nature. -- Heather Vandermillen


Doyle, Malachy. Tales from Old Ireland. Illustrated by Niamh Sharkey. New York: Barefoot Books, 2000.
Gr 3-6

This small anthology (7 stories) is a good jumping off point for anyone unfamiliar with Irish folk tales because it covers many of the important characters and themes. The selection includes the classic Children of Lir, about the children of a king who are turned into swans for 900 years by their evil step mother. Oisin in Tir na n'OG is from the Fenian Cycle about the legendary Fionn Mac Cumhail. This particular story is about Fionn's son, Oisin, who goes to live in the land of Eternal Youth. A Fairy story is of course essential, and that is covered here with the delightful account of Lushmore and the Fairies. There is also an Irish Cinderella story complete with missing slipper called Fair, Brown and Trembling. Doyle does a particularly fine job of capturing Irish humor and sadness. The language is folksy (“there's nothing would give me greater pleasure”) without being condescending or cutesy and the dialogue is is not in dialect so children will feel comfortable reading it. This is a not a book for children younger than 1st grade because there is quite a bit of violence against children. Though the children are never irreparably harmed in any of the stories, Children of Lir is quite sad. The book is also a little heavy on evil step-mothers and mother-in-laws (3out of 7 stories). Niamh Sharkey's decidedly unrealistic illustrations help mitigate the scarier episodes. Her people are comical and her landscapes offbeat. There is a helpful pronunciation guide (opposite the table of contents) with all the Irish names and places included in the story. The back of the book has a brief history of Irish folklore and an explanation of the origin of each story. One particularly interesting detail discussed was the addition of St. Patrick to the tale of Oisin in Tir na n'Og. Patrick would not have appeared in the original pre-Christian version of the story but the fact that he was later incorporated “is a powerful symbol of the reconciliation of paganism and Christianity, a major factor in the survival to this day of these wonderful stories.” This is a charming book that will interest children and adults. -- Heather Vandermillen


Elizabeth's Picks


The Empty Pot by Demi. New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1990. Grades 1-3.

This classic Chinese folk tale tells the story of an emperor trying to find a successor. He gathers children from his kingdom and distributes seeds. The children must grow a flower from the seeds they are given, because the emperor’s gardens are important to him. Ping has a way with plants, but he is unable to make anything grow from his seed. When the children return to the emperor they have all grown lovely flowers. Ping is ashamed when he tells the emperor that he was unable to grow anything and therefore has an empty pot. The emperor reveals that none of the seeds were alive, and that it was a test. Ping has won because he was honest. A beautiful tale about honesty. How hard it can be to tell the truth, and how important it is to do so.



The Mitten retold by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Yarolslova. New York: Mulberry Books, 1989. Grades 1-3

This is a Ukrainian folk tale, although it has popped up in various forms in many cultures. It tells the story of a boy who loses his mitten in the snow and leaves it behind. One animal after another finds the mitten and crawls inside, each one protesting to the next that there is not enough room! But there always is until one last, little mouse creeps in and the mitten bursts apart. I love how the animals make room for one another and discover enough space to share as well as how they keep each other warm. The lesson of the book seems to be that even a small thing can be the proverbial last straw.



Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Michael Austin. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2007. Grades 1-3

This is a Cuban folktale. Martina is a lovely young cockroach who, at 21 days, is ready for marriage. Her big, loving family tries to help her prepare for suitors by giving her presents to help her attract them. A shell comb, a lace mantilla. But it is her grandmother who gives her the best gift – some odd advice. She tells Martina to spill coffee on their feet. This will make them angry and she will see how they act when angered. The illustrations show a comical number of insects and small animals as they try to woo Martina. And bring out the wisdom of her grandmother’s advice. Many words are in Spanish and one gets a feel for certain cultural aspects of Cuba – coffee, mantillas.

Mia R's Picks

Clark, Emma Chichester. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2009.
Grade Level: Preschool - 1

This delightful retelling of the familiar folktale starts off with the traditional “Once upon a time.” Goldilocks walks into the empty mountain-top house and “She didn’t Wonder. She didn’t ask.” as she, in turn, tries out the three bowls of porridge, the three chairs and the three beds. Only one of each is the right one for Goldilocks. When the bears return she is so scared “her hair stood on end”, she ran and “never poked her nose in other people’s houses again.” The illustrations are very colorful – all the fabrics, china etc. are brightly patterned mostly with flower designs. One of the things that I enjoyed about this book is that the illustrations show Goldilocks reading Little Red Riding Hood, although the title is not mentioned in the text.





Reid, Barbara. Sing a Song of Mother Goose. New York: Scholastic, 1987,
Grade Level: K – 3

Forty traditional nursery rhymes are included in this book including such favorites as Sing a Song of Sixpence; Jack and Jill; Mary Had a Little Lamb; and Little Jack Horner. It is assumed that children know all these rhymes, but if they do not, this would be a great introductory book. I like this book because of the illustrations which are all made using plasticine. The top and bottom of each page has a latticework design with trailing plants. On to that, characters and objects from each rhyme are added. The detail is incredible, the clothing designs old fashioned. A child could spend hours finding objects hiding in the latticework. A board book version was published in 2008 with text on one page, illustrations on the other. Although the illustrations are still intricate, Jill still has a blue bow in her hair, I believe that the original version is the better one.




Kimmel, Eric A. Cactus Soup. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2004.
Grade Level: 1-4

This version of Stone Soup is set in the town of San Miguel in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s. The townspeople hide their beans and tortillas; chickens, cows and "chile" peppers. They change their clothes and pretend to be poor. Once the soldiers arrive, instead of a stone, the captain asks for one cactus thorn. The refrain “Why ask for what you don’t have?” is repeated each time he wishes for different ingredients to add to the soup. Of course they end up with everything in the soup and the townspeople and the solders share a wonderful fiesta. The big sombreros and exaggerated features in the illustrations move the story along cheerfully. The glossary at the back explains the Spanish words used in the story. I like this story because apart from showing how much better cooperation is than selfishness, it is also a way to introduce another culture to students. The different foods eaten in different countries, where Mexico is in the world and through the illustrations, the students can also get an idea of a different landscape.




Climo, Shirley. Tuko and the Birds. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008.
Grade Level: 1 – 4

This is a retelling of a Filipino fable where a noisy nocturnal gecko moves into a house where many different birds stay. The local villagers are used to being lulled to sleep by the birds’ songs but when Tuko the gecko moves in he keeps them awake. He says that he calls “TUKO” five times after he eats anything. The birds try to bribe him to go away to the swamp by giving him insects to eat but he refuses. Eventually, Haribon, the eagle, makes imitation rhinoceros beetles from gum. The greedy gecko eats the all and ends up with glued together in a ball and Haribon “helps” him to roll down the hill to the swamp and all return to normal in the birds’ house. The belief is that anything is possible. A glossary of Filipino words is included and a detailed author’s note explaining the fable. This is a fun tale, many of the birds’ plans going comically awry. Francisco Mora’s watercolor illustrations are verdant contrasting with the plumage of the birds.

Deborah's Picks!

Krensky, Stephen. Anansi and the Box of Stories. Illus. by Jeni Reeves. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, 2008
Gr. 2-5. Long ago in a distant time lived the first spider, Anansi. At that time, there were no stories in the world because they all belonged to Nyame, the sky god. Nyame kept them in a box in his sky kingdom and though many creatures asked Nyame to share his stories, Nyame refused. Anansi thought the stories should be shared and asked the price. Nyame answered with a challenge: If Anansi can trick four of the world’s fiercest animals, he will share his stories with the other creatures. Anansi sets out to trick each of four animals, the python, the hornets, the leopard, and the invisible fairy. Anansi succeeds to the surprise of Nyame and the stories are shared. Anansi’s clever tricks make this an enchanting story of West African folklore that will keep listeners wondering until the end. These tales are a great way to introduce children to other cultures and traditions from around the world.


Martin, Francesca. Clever Tortoise. Illus. by the author. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2000
Gr. 1-3. On the banks of Lake Nyasa in Africa live many animals that are happy now because of the trick that Clever Tortoise played on Hippopotamus and Elephant, two very large animals with very large egos. Hippopotamus and Elephant spend their days frightening and bullying the other animals until Clever Tortoise came up with a plan to put them both in their place bringing peace back to the banks of the lake and proving to all that a little brain can be stronger than a big bully’s strength. He challenges each of them to a tug of war. Each animal laughs and gladly agrees knowing a little tortoise is no match for his mighty strength. But Clever Tortoise is clever indeed and he gives each one end of a long, strong rope made out of tree vines. The animals pull and tug all night long until Tortoise cuts the rope and the two animals tumble all the time believing that Clever Tortoise was on the other end of the rope. This is an East African folktale illustrated with exciting color and detail with colorful borders top and bottom. Each page is packed with expressive animals and a story that includes many Kiswahili words to authenticate the setting. This would make a wonderful read aloud for younger children who will be fascinated with both illustrations and storyline.


Endredy, James. The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer. Illus. by Maria Hernandez de la Cruz and Casimiro de la Cruz Lopez. Rochester: Bear Cub Books, 2003.
Gr. 1-3. When Tunuri, a young Huichol Indian boy, becomes separated from his family while traveling through the woods, he meets the Blue Deer who guides him to his other family, Father Sun, Mother Earth, Brother Wind, Sister Water, and Grandfather Fire who lives in all the stars in the sky. Grandfather Fire instructs Tunuri to return to his earth family and share with them all that he had learned that day. This is a Huichol folktale about connecting with nature for harmony in your life. The illustrations, made from traditional yarn drawings by Huichol artisans, are colorful and textured with lots of detail and depict many of the Huichol symbols which are explained in the glossary in the back of the book along with instructions of how the yarn drawings were made. This is a good resource for teaching multicultural studies.

Tracy's Picks:

Marshall, James Vance. Illustrated by Firebrace, Francis. Stories From the Billabong. London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 2008.
Stories From the Billabong tells ten ancient tales of the Yorta-Yorta people, an Australia Aboriginal tribe. There are stories that explain why things are the way they are (“How the Kangaroo Got Her Pouch,” “Why Frogs Can Only Croak,” “How the Crocodile Got Its Scales”), stories of creation (“The Rainbow Serpent and the Story of Creation,” “The Lizard Man and the Creation of Uluru”), and other mysteries (“The Butterflies and the Mystery of Death”). After each tale, there is a informational description of the story’s subject giving the reader the opportunity to learn about kangaroos, frogs, lyrebirds, brolags, the platypus, hibernation and metamorphosis. The last pages of the book include a brief description of the aboriginal peoples of Australia and a glossary of some of the terms used in the stories. The book is illustrated with traditional aboriginal artwork that is rich with aboriginal symbols. The last pages of the book show the important aboriginal symbols and their meanings and encourages the reader to look through the book to find the symbols. Stories From the Billabong has beautifully told stories that are enhanced with wonderful aboriginal artwork and connections from the aboriginal tales and real information. Stories From the Billabong is an excellent introduction to the aboriginal tribes of Australia.
Clayton, Sally Pomme. Illustrated by Herxheimer, Sophie. Tales Told in Tents. London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 2004.Tales Told in Tents contains myths, tales, riddles, and songs from Central Asia. Readers can learn all about the origins of felt, the creation of Lake Issyk-Kul, read a story about the trickster Aldar-Kose, and learn about the wish-tree. At the end of each story, the author connects the story to memories of her travels through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Takjikistan and Afghanistan as she experienced the tales in storytelling tents. Tales Told in Tents is beautifully illustrated with pen, ink and watercolor illustrations that artfully show the traditional dress of the region and provide the reader with a peek into the culture. There is a map, a glossary, and an introduction which gives a brief overview of the region. Tales Told in Tents is a wonderful journey through Central Asia.
Sherman, Josepha. Illustrated by Wingerter, Linda. Magic Hoofbeats Fantastic Horse Tales. Cambridge, MA:Barefoot Books, 2004.Magic Hoofbeats tells eight magical horse tales from around the world. All of the horse have special powers (some can talk, some fly, others are faster than the wind) which they use to make sure that good triumphs over evil. The wonderful stories have the power to take the reader to another world. Before each story, there is an informative piece about the breed of horse that stars in the tale. This book is a good way to learn the traits of the different horse breeds while being exposed to different cultures through story.
Jack and the Beanstalk: How a Small Fellow Solved a Big Problem
Retold and Illustrated by Albert Lorenz with Joy Schleh
New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002
Grades PreK-3



This retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk is a large illustrated book - about 13x12 inches. This is the traditional tale, and Jack brings home gold, a hen that lays golden eggs and the singing harp. But, what makes this version so delightful are the detailed, vibrant illustrations and the size of the illustrations to compare Jack’s world with the giant’s world. For example, the hen is larger than Jack. The reader is also asked to find Jack in some of the pictures. This story doesn’t just Jack bringing things home, he has to figure out to get them home. He can’t lift the gold since it’s too heavy. What will he do?



Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Retold and Illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist
Harry N. Abrams: New York; 2003
Grades PreK-3
Fairytale



This modern contemporary retelling of Snow White is illustrated geometrically. This a basic version of Snow White. There is the magic mirror and eventually Snow White gets brought to the forest to be eaten by wild animals. But, the animals bring her to a cottage instead - the cottage of the seven dwarfs. In exchange for her taking care of their home, she can stay. The evil stepmother eventually finds her and, while Snow White is sleeping, puts a poisoned apple on her plate. Snow White thinks it’s a present from the dwarfs, takes a bite and instantly falls “asleep”. She is eventually laid out in the forest on a bed of rose petals where the animals can keep watch over her. The prince comes, shakes her because he thinks she’s asleep, and she awakes. No kisses here, but they marry and the evil stepmother is never heard from again after she goes into the forest to find Snow White.


Cleaver Beatrice and the Best Little Pony
By Margaret Willy and Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon
Antheneum Books, New York: 2004
Grades K-2
Folktale

Somebody is riding Beatrice’s beloved pony, Trefflé, at night, and it’s not her. She locks her pony up in the stable and it happens again so her mom suggests she visit Monsieur Le Pain, the bread maker from Quebec and village expert. He thinks it must be a lutin but needs to sure and starts to think of a way to find out. While he is thinking and kneading his bread, Beatrice is also thinking and comes up with a plan to see if the lupin is causing this trouble - footprints in flour. As the story continues, for every problem, Beatrice is the one with the solution, not Monsieur Le Pain. She’s the one who ends up catching the lupin, while Monsieur Le Pain sleeps. But, in the end, they work together to tie the sack that holds the lupin and carry it together to the wagon. Monsieur Le Pain realizes he didn’t help too much to catch the lupin, and Beatrice get to ride her beloved pony without worrying the pony will be stolen by a lupin.